In the ice cream producing industry ice cream, or an ice cream mixture, is used to produce ice cream products. In the process, the ice cream is extruded through an extrusion nozzle and subsequently cut into ice cream products by means of a cutting tool. The cutting tool may e.g. be a knife, a scrape or a hot wire. Additionally, an ice cream stick is often inserted into the ice cream to produce so called ice cream lollies. Thereafter, the ice cream products can be put on a conveyer tray or a conveyer belt for further transportation to e.g. further processing, packaging and storing.
Some ice creams comprise inclusions or particles. These inclusions may cause a problem for the positioning of the stick in the ice cream as the inclusions may be located in a portion of the ice cream where the stick is to be inserted. Thus, the inclusions may cause a misplacement of the stick in the ice cream product. Even if no stick is included in the ice cream, problems can arise when the inclusions are cut by the cutting tool as the inclusions may be moved within the ice cream upon impact of the cutting tool, whereby holes and protrusions are formed within the ice cream product. Hereby, the ice cream product may get an undesired shape.
There is thus a need for improving the state of the art to provide for an ice cream machine which at least partly solves these problems.